Persevering
by littletweetybird
Summary: The quest to find the jewel shards stands upon the edge of a knife and the group is beginning to stray now that the one who held them together is gone.
1. Chapter 1

(AN: This is the first fanfic I have ever written so be nice... please)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the any of the other characters blah blah blah I think you get the point

All she could feel was pain it consumed her, numbing her senses, making her unaware of everything around her,including the strong demonic aura around her. Normally she would have easily sensed it if not from the state she was in.

She drifted in and out of consciousness as she had been doing for the last hour or so. Barely holding on to life, she couldn't move.

A moan of pain escaped her lips into the darkness of the room she was in. The room was cold but she was sweating, her skin felt like fire.

She could hear a voice in this darkness she was in and could tell it belonged to a male but she couldn't place it. Slowly opening her eyes, she carefully turned her head a bit to the side to get a better look of the room but she couldn't see much because it was so dark, and what she could see was too blurry to make out. The pain kept her mind clouded. She could hear the voice a little more clearly now but it still confused her. "You are dying." she heard him say but the words seemed beyond comprehension to her and before she could contemplate the meaning he went on.

"But you have a choice." Those words confused her even more

"I don't understand." she said in barely more than a whisper. It took her a minute to realize it was her voice that had said that, she couldn't even recognize her own voice.

"You have a choice between life and death." she could clearly hear the amusement when he said this. Normally she would have thought about it, and questioned the ultimatum given to her but at this moment she was having trouble thinking past the pain.

"I choose to live." were the only words that past her lips before she once again lost consciousness.

A sadistic smile crept across his face as he knelt down beside the unconscious girl that lay before him. He had so many plans for her now. The day before when he had gone to pay the halfbreed Inuyasha and his friends a little visit, he would have never guessed this would be how it played out, it was turning out better than he would have ever imagined.

He pushed a silky strand of raven coloured hair of of her face. Her pale creamy white skin was dotted with beads of sweat and she had many wounds that were bleeding profusely but even in this condition she still looked... desirable.

In his hand, he now held a piece of pulsating flesh similar to the ones he used to create his incarnations. It was his own flesh and with this he could control her, use her.

He watched as his own flesh was absorbed into the teenage girl's body. He leaned down mere inches from from her face "You belong to me now my little miko." he whispered into her ear. 'We will see how she feels about being bound to me when she awakens.' he thought to himself.

It didn't take long for things to take effect. Within minutes she was already healing and the colour was beginning to return to her face.

"Kanna." he spoke to seemingly no one. Then from the shadows, entered an albino girl, Kanna of the void. "Yes, Lord Naraku?" asked the girl in her usual monotone voice. "Show me the halfbreed." Naraku ordered, he didn't need to say more than that. Kanna knew exactly what he meant.

At that moment a silver-haired hanyou appeared in the soul-stealing mirror that she carried.

He couldn't believe it, he had promised to protect her but now she was gone. "Kagome, I'm sorry." he whispered to the darkness of the night. He still couldn't understand how it had happened, how could his Kagome be dead. Once again he had failed to protect the the one he cared about, the one he loved.

Yes, he loved Kagome, he had never been completely sure of his feelings for her but now that she she had left the world of the living, he was was never more sure of anything in his life, but it was too late, his time with Kagome was over.

'I guess that goes to show that the saying you don't know what you have until it is gone, is true' he thought miserably.

He knew that it was his fault which only made it harder.

He would never forget the look in Shippou eyes after he delivered the Wind Scar, he remembered his confusion when he saw Shippou's expression, he looked absolutely destroyed. He remembered wondering where Kagome had gotten to when he saw she was no longer where she had been just moments ago.

He gad sniffed the air hoping to pin point her location. That's when he knew.

He could smell blood, Kagome's blood, coming from where his Wind Scar had just hit, where Naraku had just been.

The bastard had used Kagome as a shield and had managed to escape.

Everyone blamed him and he knew it although Shippou was the only one who had come out and said it, right before he had stopped talking to the hanyou. The others just seemed to pussy foot their way around him, he knew they would never outright say it but the way they turned away whenever he looked at them and the way they stopped talking whenever he was in hearing distance was just as bad.

Now they seemed to avoid him as much as possible which was easier now that they had taken a break from collecting the jewel shards. As much as Inuyasha hated the treatment he was receiving from his companions, he knew he deserved much worse, it was his Wind Scar that had killed her, disintegrating her body leaving only a few traces of her blood behind.

Replaying it over and over in his mind, he couldn't understand why he hadn't seen Naraku shot one of his tentacles at Kagome grabbing her and pulling her in front of him.

How could he have been oblivious to the fact that she had been in the hands of the enemy when he was supposed to protect her.

Ever since they had returned to Kaede's village he had spent most of his time in the god tree and staring at the well, from the moment he saw it upon returning to the village he knew he would have to go through without her and break the news to her family, they deserved that much, but of coarse that was only if the well was still working.

'Could it still work now that she is dead?' Inuyasha wondered. He had to try, Kagome would have wanted him to but a part of him hoped it wouldn't work he didn't want to face her family or the memories but the other part of him just wanted to sit in her room and lay among so he could smell her wonderful scent again.

He couldn't imagine what he could possibly tell her family, how do you tell someone that their daughter, their granddaughter,their sister is dead?

He hated the word 'dead' it sounded so final, but of coarse it was.

He had thought about trying to get her resurrected as Kikyo had been but he saw how depressed Kikyo was she knew she didn't belong in this world and because of that she resented the living and he didn't want that for Kagome. Kikyo was now only a shadow of the woman she once was.

Kikyo... Inuyasha's first love, he would always love her but she was dead, she had died fifty years ago and no amount of promises or hoping would ever her back and going to hell with her would not bring them together.

He loved Kikyo but he loved Kagome too just as much if not more.

But going to hell with Kikyo was seeming like a better and better idea with every minute that pressed on but then again, Kagome had to live and would want him to keep living even now, without her.

He didn't know what to do, go to hell with Kikyo and escape a life without Kagome or try to live in her honour.

Just more decisions he didn't want to make.

(AN: This is kind of a short chapter, I expect to make future chapters longer but it is hard because I seriously have the attention span of a goldfish sometimes I think I have a mild form ADD or something so ya please review and tell me if this story is worth continuing or not bye for now )


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or all related characters and elements

(AN: Sorry it took such an unbelievably long time to update I just got really busy then very distracted. Do you know how easy it is for someone who is extremely easily amused to get distracted? Well anyways back to the story.)

Persevering

Chapter 2

* * *

Sango stared out into the night, it would be dawn soon, at any moment the sun would creep up on the horizon and she would have to face the day.

She had stayed awake through the night because she wasn't sure where Inuyasha was or when he would be returning, so she kept watch. Not that she minded, it gave her a reason not to sleep and if she didn't sleep she wouldn't dream and she wouldn't have to face her memories.

She could avoid thinking about things easily enough while she was awake by focusing on keeping everyone else protected but as soon as she closed her eyes all she saw was death.

She had lost her family, her entire village and now her best friend who had become like a sister to her all at the hands of Naraku. 'Naraku that son of a bitch how much pain does he intend to cause, dammit I swear I will kill him, I want his blood on my hands.' Sango thought while clutching her hand into a fist. She felt Shippou stir on her lap and she immediately forced her body to relax, she didn't want Shippou to wake up.

Every night since Kagome's death it would take hour to calm him down enough to sleep.

As much as she despised Naraku, she had to admit he was smart. He had hit them where it really hurt, Kagome was the one that held them together, by taking out one person he was successfully dividing them. Miroku was planning to leave to go see Mushin in the morning, Inuyasha was god knows where, and even her and Kirara were going back to her village for awhile leaving Shippou behind with Kaede.

Would Naraku try to conquer them while they were divided among themselves?

'What kind of a question was that? Of coarse he would.' Sango thought angrily. Naraku was always trying to pull off the the divide and conquer method on them.

But even knowing this everyone was going their separate ways.

She saw the shy brighten as the sun began to rise. Carefully as she could, she lifted Shippou from her lap and placed him on her futon. After waiting to make sure that he wasn't going to wake up, she rose to her feet and exited Kaede's hut as quietly as possible.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the sun rise but she wouldn't let them fall, she had promised herself she wouldn't cry today. There had been two day of tending to the injured and four days of traveling. It had been six days since Kagome's death, six days of mourning, six days of crying and she was tired of crying and surprised she even had any tears left.

Sango was soon accompanied by her fire neko. Kirara jumped up onto Sango's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek but it offered little comfort.

She could easily leave now and avoid the goodbyes and it would be easier that way, but no, she would wait. She was already being a coward by leaving, even if it was just temporary. She would wait and say goodbye to her friends, they deserved that much, then she would leave.

She was not sure how long she would be away from the group or even if there would be a group to return to, but she would come back all the same because Kagome would have wanted them to stick together, that much she was sure of.

As Sango slowly reentered the hut she heard Shippou quietly whisper Kagome's name in his sleep and it torn at her heart like salt lightly sprinkled on a open wound.

That one barely audible whisper seemed to make every thing more real, reminding her of the kitsune's loss as well as her own. Shippou had lost a lot in his short life, first his parent then Kagome, who treated him like a son.

She then glanced over to Miroku, he looked so peaceful as he slept. Miroku ...even with all his faults she loved the hentai, but since the tragedy they had become quite distant. They hadn't spoke since Kagome's death other than what was necessary and the silence was driving a wedge between them.

Miroku hadn't groped her once in the last six and although she would never openly admit it, she was beginning to miss it.

Sometimes she would open her mouth to say something, try to offer some comfort of at least break the silence but nothing would come out and she would find herself shutting it again and once again she would walk on in silence. She had caught Miroku a few times in the same situation, nobody seemed to know what to say for how do you comfort others when you are the one in need of comfort.

Silence had completely consumed the group, they cried and mourned in silence except when Shippou would cry out for Kagome at night and weep for her in the morning.

Sango often just wanted to scream, cry out, do something, but she wouldn't, she was a warrior, a fighter as was everyone else, she would not her grief show.

* * *

Miroku awoke to find Sango staring at him. She looked completely impassive, except for the eyes. Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with grief and sorrow, and he wanted to say something to her, something to offer some comfort but the words didn't come.

It wasn't very often that he had absolutely nothing to say, he was normally good at saying the right things at the right time when he needed to, but not this time, this time he remained silent.

He lethargically got up and moved over to where Sango was sitting and dropped down beside her. Sango turned away looking down at the ground as if if it had suddenly become more interesting.

Miroku slowly moved his fingers over to her hand, resting his hand on hers, holding it and giving it a light squeeze.

Surprised, she looked up into his eyes and they stayed like that for a few moments just staring into each others eyes until finally he spoke "The pain of Kagome's passing will one day slip away but the beauty of her life will remain."

The words were spoken softly and reassuringly and although they weren't much they were enough.

Sango then jumped into his arms, tears flowing down her face, and he held her, neither of them were sure how long they stayed like that. It could have been seconds, minutes, of even hours but however long it was, it was they had so desperately needed from each other.

So when the sobbing died down and the silence once again set in, it wasn't awkward or filled with loss, instead it was filled with comfort and understanding.

"Let's go for a walk." Miroku eventually whispered in Sango's ear after that they both got up and walked outside.

* * *

She opened her eyes, only a little bit, just enough to see. It was still dark, looking around the room she found she was alone.

There was nothing in the room but her and the futon on which she lay. To her right was a window, she had to take a look try and figure out where she was.

She sat up quickly but regretted it as she fell back down on her back her head pounding. 'Note to self: sudden movement are not a good idea.' she thought while bringing her hand to her throbbing head. Once again she sat up but this time slowly and carefully and it was then that she noticed she was naked with just a thin blanket covering her. As she stood up, she wrapped the blanket around her as someone would a towel.

She then passively made her way to the window, staggering a bit along the way when she finally made her way there she immediately leaned against the wall for support then put both arms on the window ledge to hold herself up while she looked out.

Outside she saw dark purple clouds swirling in the sky. "Miasma." she said in a hushed whisper, she wasn't quite sure how she knew that but something about it seemed familiar. But it didn't make sense if it really was miasma than how was she still alive, everything else in the vicinity seemed to be dead and she was breathing fine.

She allowed herself to drop down to the floor and sit leaning against the wall her eyes closed. She felt completely exhausted but the reasons escaped her.

"Kagome."

Her eyes jerked open, she hadn't heard anybody come in. She looked up to see a man with long wavy black hair and inhuman red eyes, she took a quick glance around the room.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked giving him a questioning look.

"Yes, my little miko" he said walking in and kneeling down in front of her. She didn't like the look he was giving her, it made her feel a little nervous.

"Who are you" she asked.

He stared at her for a moment as if trying to figure something out then smirked."You don't even know who you are, do you?" he said slightly amused.

She opened her mouth ready to tell him off then realizing he was right, she closed it again and sighed in frustration. She hadn't really thought about since she had woken up and it annoyed her.

He chuckled.

"You are really enjoying this aren't you?" she said in a frustrated growl.

"Ah Kagome temper temper."

"I'm guessing since you keep calling my Kagome, that it is my name." she stated.

"Indeed" he responded.

As the realization set in, Kagome looked down, examining herself looking for some clue, one shred of evidence to tell who she was. She found huge gashes in her body, and they were healing rapidly, at this rate she would be perfectly fine in a few days.

It didn't seem normal to heal that fast, not completely out of the ordinary, as though she had seen it before, but not normal for her, but of coarse she wasn't sure what normal was at the moment.

"You can call me Lord Naraku" he said answering the long forgotten question, he got up to leave "I will send in Kagura with some clothes" he said on his way out.

Kagome then curled up into a ball, the realization that she didn't know who she was made her feel so lost, she just wanted to go home but she wasn't sure where home was, suddenly she had nothing and no one. She began to cry as a feeling of emptiness came over her.

* * *

(AN: so that was chapter 2, tell me what you think, good or bad I would love to hear it, in other words review please) 


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